I recently attended a gathering of chartered surveyors where the topic for debate was home information packs (HIPs).


Having expected to meet an ecstatic audience whose only concern would be how to cope with all the extra work that has been gifted to it by the government, I was surprised to find, instead, a mood of gloom.



Much of this centres on the 'new profession' of home inspectors that has been created to carry out the reports. The thought of qualified surveyors having to retrain was seen as an affront to their professional integrity. In addition, there were anxieties with pricing issues and a feeling that a proper professional job could not be done at the price the government is, apparently, seeking to promote. Overall, the morale of the surveyors seemed at a low ebb, with most feeling that this was a threat rather than an opportunity.



It seems that we solicitors are not the only professionals struggling to come to terms with these massive changes.



Richard Atkins, Taylor Walton, Luton